Flask for molding building-blocks or the like.



No. 738,423. PATENTED SEPT. 8. 1903.

" E. G. DURANT.

ILASK FOR MOLDING BUILDING BLOCKS OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2, 1900.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 1 mlllllllll lllllllllllllllllmm 1 PATEN'IEDSEPT. 8, 1903.

ILG. DURANT. FLASK FOR MOLDING BUILDING BLOCKS OR THE LIKE APPLICATIONFILED JUNE 2, 1900. I

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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m: NORRIS nevus cu, PHOTO-\ Iho WAHWGTOR UNITED STATES PatentedSeptember 8, 1903;

PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD c. DUBANT, or PASADENA, CALIFORNIA.

FLASK FOR MOLDING BUILDING-BLOCKS OR THE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 738,423, datedSeptember 8, 1903. Application filed June 2,1900- Serial No. 18,882. (Nomodel.)

To 62% whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD G. DURANT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pasadena, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flasksfor Molding Building-Blocks or the Like, of which the fol lowing is aspecification.

My present invention pertains to an improved flask for molding plasticand cementitious materials, the construction and advantages of whichwill be hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the flask as awhole; Fig. 2, a similar view with the cope removed; Fig. 3, a top planview; Fig. 4, a longitudinal sectional view with the cores in position;Fig. 5, a vertical sectional view of a portion of the flask, showing themeans employed for connecting the, various parts together; Fig. 6,aperspective view of one of the core-pieces, and Fig. 7 a perspectiveview of the block made in such a flask as is illustrated in theforegoing figures.

The objects of my invention are, first, to provide a flask in whichbuilding-blocks or the like may be produced having one or more finishedfaces-as, for example, blocks representing cut or carved stonework;second, to bring about in a satisfactory manner the use of a finesurface material with a coarser and cheaper backing, and, lastly, to socore the blocks as to dispense with the use of any material not neededor essential to the article i produced.

In the flask, to be hereinafter described in detail, the material is tobe compacted therein by repeated blows applied to small portions of thematerial rather than by treatment in mass under heavy pressure. By thusgradually building'up the block the best results are obtained. Ahighgrade block may be produced by hand at a less cost than it is nowproduced by the useof expensive machinery and the employment of power.

In the drawings the lower or drag portion of the flask is composed inpart of three hinged or attached sections-a front A and two end sectionsB B. The back 0 is preferably formed of a single piece of metal, havingopenings D formed therein, which correspond with similar openings E inthe front of the flask, the openings E being completed by the uppermember F of the cope or upper section of the mold. The end members G Gof the cope-section are hinged or attached to the front section F in amanner similar to the corresponding parts of the drag. As is the casewith the drag, the cope members are flanged, so as to stiffen andstrengthen the same. The back C is held in its position with relation tothe cope and drag by latches H, which engage pins I, extending out fromthe ends of the back section 0. Openings J are formed in the endsections B G and B G for the admission of suitable cores.

The bottom or platen K comprises a single piece of material having anydesired design or pattern upon its uppermost face. It is held inposition by having its forward end and side edges extend into a grooveor channel L, formed in the lower edge of the front section A and in thelower edges of the end sections B B. It is also secured to the back 0 byturn buttons or buckles M. (Shown in Fig. 4.)

The core members are composed or made of light sheet metal or the like,five core-pieces being employed in connection with the flask hereinshown. One of said core-pieces is ilustrated in Fig. 6 and is, as willbe noted, provided with a transversely-extending cross bar or member N,which forms a handhold to assist in withdrawing the cores from theplastic mass or finished block.

In Fig. 3 the cores are shown in position and numbered 1, 2, 3, 4t, and5, respectively.

The cores 1 and 2, as will be noted, extend across the flask, havingtheir bearings in the openings D E, While the central core 4 restsintermediate the back and the front of the flask between the cores 1 and2. The cores 3 and 5 extend in from the openings J and abut against thesides of the transverse cores 1 and 2. If desired, the back 0 may bemade in two parts, though ordinarily and by preference it will be madein a single piece and utilized, as hereinafter explained, as a carry:ing-board. In using the flask to produce a block, such as shown in Fig.7, wherein the block is provided with end openings and openings upon twoopposite faces, with a stiffening rib or flange extending transverselyacross said'material reaches a level with the bottom the blockintermediate the openings, the following operation is carried out:

The platen or bottom K, having the design desired to be reproduced uponone face of the block, is secured in place in connection with the hingemembers of the drag and the back O. Said platen or bottom is thentreated with a layer of the material to be used for the face of theblock, and the same is tamped or compressed to the desired degree.Backing material of a cheaper grade is then put in the mold or flask andlikewise tamped. When of the openings D, E, and J, it is struck 011 by astraight-edge working on the flanges defining said openings. The coremember 4 is then put in position, the cores 1 and 2 set in place, andthe core members 3 and 5 likewise put in position. The operator thencontinues to fill in around the cores with the material until the heightof the drag is reached, when the cope is put in place and the operationof filling in is continued. To maintain the cope in its proper positionrelative to the drag and the core-pieces, pins 0 are employed, whichextend down through the flanges of the various members. Should it bedesired, the cope may be put in position immediately after thecore-pieces are placed.

A top platen P, Fig. 1, may be employed if found desirable, in whichinstance the under face of said platen may be provided with a figuredsurface which will give an ornamental finish to the upper portion of theblock. If such ornamentation, however, is not desired, the block may besmoothed off by simply running a straight-edge alongthe upper surface oredge of the cope. After the block has been thus formed, the flask isturned over, so as to rest upon the back 0. The core members 1 and 2 arethen withdrawn, as are also the cores 3 and 5. The latches H aredisengaged from the pins I and the latches M also loosened, so that thehinge members of the cope and drag may be withdrawn from the block, asmay also the platen or bottom K. After these parts are removed theoperator withdraws the central core-section 4. The completed block withthe ornamented face or faces, as the case may be, is then left restingupon the back 0, which may be used to bear it away to any point where itmay be suitably dried and cured. From this it will be seen that all ofthe members of the flask with the exception of the back 0 are againready to be employed in the formation of a new block, so that it is onlynecessary to have duplicate backs or members 0.

While the cores have been shown as made up of asinglepiece, it isevident that they may be divided, if so desired. It is also manifestthat when corner or angle blocks are to be formed a finishing-platen maybe inserted in one end of the flask to produce a face or finish thatshall correspond with the long finished face of the block or other endpieces without core-openings may be employed as ends of the flask. It islikewise manifest that various means may be employed for attaching theback and the side members to one another, and I do not desire to beunderstood as limiting myself to the use of the latches and pins, asshown. So, too, the bottom or platen may be supported in any approvedmanner with relation to the other parts. Under some conditions cores 3,4, and 5 may be omitted, in which case the openings in the ends will besuitably closed or end sections without the openings employed...

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a flask forforming building-blocks and the like, the combination of a back of asize equal to the side of the block to be formed and serving as acarrying-off section for the block; a series of detachable sides workingin conjunction with said back, each side being formed of a series ofsections; and a bottom or platen working in conjunction with said backand the side members.

2. In a flask for forming building-blocks and the like, the combinationof a back having openings formed therein for the reception ofcore-pieces, said back being of a size equal to the side of the blockand serving when the block is completed as a carrying-off sectiontherefor; a series of side members detachably connected to the back,each side being formed of a series of sections, the adjacent edges ofwhich are formed with recesses, which when the parts are assembled formcore-openings; a platen or bottom connected to said back and the sides;and core-pieces extending through the openings in the back and sides.

3. In a flask for molding building-blocks and the like, the combinationof aback serving as a carrying-off section and having openings formedtherein; a drag comprising hinged members A, B, B; acope comprisingmembers F,G,G,the members A and F having openings E, E, formed thereinand the members B, G, and B, G, having openings Jformed therein; meansfor connectingthe drag, the back and the cope together; and a platenworking in conjunction with the drag and the back.

4. In a flask for molding building-blocks and the like, the combinationof a back having openings formed. therein; a front section havingopenings formed therein; end sections hinged to said front section, eachlikewise provided with an opening; means for securing said ends and theback together; a platen secured intermediate the front, the sides, andthe back; core members 1 and 2 extending through the openings in thefront and back; a core member supported intermediate said'cores 1 and 2and cores extending through the openings in the ends toward the sides ofthe cores 1 and 2.

5. In a flask for forming building-blocks and the like, the combinationof a back provided with openings; a drag consisting of a front section Aand members B, B, hinged thereto; a platen K having its front and endsresting in grooves or channels formed in the members A, B, B; latchesfor securing said platen to the back; a cope comprising a front F andends G, G hinged thereto; means for securing the cope and drag to theback; means for securing the cope and drag in alinement; and coresextending through the flask, substantially as described.

6. In a flask for forming building-blocks I and the like, thecombination of a back, said back serving as a carrying-0E member; a

drag member detachably secured thereto; a platen working in conjunctionwith said drag andsthe back; a cope secured to the back and 15 to thedrag; and a top or platen P for the upper portion of the flask.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD G. DURANT.

Witnesses:

HORACE A. DODGE, DUDLEY E. BURDINE.

